Chapter 86: The Ultimate Betrayal
Melissa’s POV
Darkness engulfed me the instant the mirror broke. I opened my eyes to find I was outside the sanctuary after a chilly surge of air whipped around me.
With torches flickering against the stone walls, the chamber was barely lit. Darius was standing next to me, his silver eyes shining with contentment. However, I quickly looked past him to the person a few feet away.
Zephyr.
My throat tightened with each breath.
“Zephyr?” My voice faltered. “Why are you in this place?”
He took a while to respond. Rather, he stepped forward, his face unreadable. Too recognizable to ignore, the shadows coiled around him.
I had a bad feeling in my stomach.
Darius grinned. “Oh, Melissa, did you not see it at all?”
Zephyr’s amber eyes locked with mine, but they were cold this time. They were chilly. Calculated.
“No.” I shook my head and murmured. “You wouldn’t.”
“I did,” he responded in a composed tone. “I’ve been a part of The Forsaken since day one.”
My knees almost gave out. “No. That isn’t feasible. You were-
With a head tilt, he concluded, “Your friend?” “Your reliable ally? The person who always supported you? He laughed without amusement. “You didn’t know me, Melissa.”
My hands balled into fists as I swallowed forcefully. “Why?”
Zephyr stated plainly, “Because you were never meant to rule alongside Kane.” “You were supposed to be something more. I also had to see that you arrived.
Darius laughed. He has been really helpful.
Betrayal was like a fire to me. Zephyr was someone I trusted. Fought next to him. And all along, he had been working against me.
I shook my voice and said, “You lied to me.”
Zephyr’s face remained unchanged. “No, Melissa. I led you.
It seemed as though the walls were closing in. I felt like screaming. to sprint. However, it was too late.
Someone had already prepared the trap.
With a roaring crash, Kane rushed into the sanctuary, standing but covered in blood. His amber eyes met mine, then shifted to Darius and Zephyr.
He yelled, “Melissa!” in a desperate, raw voice.
Dark tendrils swung out and encircled me like shackles as I charged forward. Struggling, I gasped, but they were too powerful.
“No!” With a roar, Kane charged at me.
As though bored, Darius let out a sigh. “To be honest, Kane, you’re starting to bother people.”
Kane flipped across the room as the shadows struck him with a flick of his palm. He fell to one knee and groaned as he struck the stone wall hard. His shirt was stained with blood that trickled from his temple.
“Kane!” I yelled as I struggled more.
He pushed himself up, gritting his teeth. “Let her. Proceed.
Zephyr took a step ahead. “This is no longer your battle.”
Kane’s eyes grew gloomy. “There’s no way it isn’t.”
He lunged once more, but Zephyr was quicker. He hit Kane viciously, knocking him back and sending him tumbling to the floor. Before hitting the wall, Kane just managed to catch himself.
Darius gave a tongue-click. “I would kill you right now, but it would be too simple. No, I prefer that you endure pain first.
Once more, shadows raced toward Kane, but he dodged them by twisting at the last second. He gave me a final, desperate look before turning and running.
My heart tightened. “Don’t-Kane.”
“Live,” he snarled, his voice brimming with rage. “I’ll be back to get you.”
Then he disappeared.
I was by myself.
I was just free enough to stand thanks to the darkness, but I knew there was no way out. Darius’s silver eyes gleamed as he observed me with a laugh.
“All right,” he responded, taking a step forward. “Now that he’s gone, we can finally have a meaningful conversation.”
I scowled at him. “I can’t say anything to you.”
“Oh, but you do.” He cocked his head. Because, you know, you still don’t get it? All of your experiences and decisions have brought you to this point.
Where the mark burned beneath my skin, his fingers touched my wrist.
He said, “You were never intended to be a simple Alpha’s mate.” “I was supposed to have you.”
I withdrew my hand. “You will never own me.”
He laughed. “You say that now, but you will see the truth in due time.”
Beside him, Zephyr stood with an unreadable gaze. What was the point of screaming at him and demanding answers? He had made his decision.
And I was by myself now.
Kane staggered into the starry clearing far beyond, past the walls of the sanctuary. Still standing, breathless and covered in blood.
His thoughts were racing. He had just about made it out alive. However, Melissa-
He bawled his fists.
They were still holding her.
And to win her back, he would destroy the entire globe.
The night was filled with the distant cry of wolves. Figures came out of the trees one by one, Alphas from the allied packs, their eyes brimming with resolve.
Kane turned to speak to them, his tone piercing and uncompromising. “They have taken Melissa. Darius is getting ready for battle. There is no time for us to hesitate.
A thick stillness descended around them. One Alpha then came forward. “What are you asking us to do?”
Anger blazed in Kane’s golden eyes.
“We quarrel,” he declared. “This is our final position.”
His remarks were carried into the darkness by the howling wind through the trees.
There would be war.
And there would be no mercy this time.
The blood-red moon overhead gave the assembled wolves a menacing gleam. An indication. A caution.
The last fight was underway.